Horacio Cartes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horacio Cartes
Cartes in 2023
President of the Colorado Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 January 2023
Leader	Mario Abdo Benítez (Jan–Aug 2023) Santiago Peña (Aug 2023–present)
Preceded by	Pedro Alliana
50th President of Paraguay
In office 15 August 2013 – 15 August 2018
Vice President	Juan Afara (2013–Apr 2018) None (Apr–May 2018) Alicia Pucheta (May–Aug 2018)
Preceded by	Federico Franco
Succeeded by	Mario Abdo Benítez
Personal details
Born	Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara (1956-07-05) 5 July 1956 (age 69) Asunción, Paraguay
Political party	Colorado (since 2009)
Spouse	María Montaña (divorced)
Children	3
Signature

Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara (born 5 July 1956) is a Paraguayan politician and businessman. He is currently the president of the Colorado Party since 2023. Before that, he served as the president of Paraguay from 2013 to 2018.

Mr. Cartes owned many businesses in his company group, Grupo Cartes, until 2023. These businesses included tobacco, soft drinks, and banking. He was also the president of the Club Libertad football (soccer) club from 2001 to 2012. He also led the national team within the Paraguayan Football Association during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. He is known as a very wealthy person in Paraguay. His ideas and influence led to a political movement called Cartismo. This movement has shaped the Colorado Party and Paraguayan politics.

Since 2022, the United States has placed restrictions on him. This was due to concerns about his business activities and their impact on Paraguay's government.

Starting a Business Career

Horacio Cartes' father owned a company that sold Cessna aircraft. Young Horacio studied aviation mechanics in the United States. When he was 19, he started a business that exchanged money. This business later grew into a bank called Banco Amambay.

Over the years, Mr. Cartes bought or helped start 25 different companies. These included Tabesa, which is Paraguay's largest cigarette maker. He also owned a big company that bottled fruit juice. In 2023, he left his large group of companies, Grupo Cartes.

Early Steps in Politics

Before 2008, Horacio Cartes was not involved in politics. He was not even registered to vote. In 2009, he joined the conservative Colorado Party. He said he wanted to help balance the political changes happening in Latin America.

He became known as a skilled politician. People saw him as someone who was not tied to his party's past. The Colorado Party had supported the military rule of Alfredo Stroessner until 1989.

Becoming President of Paraguay

Ceremony of “Distinguished Guest” to Cartes in Mexico in August 2016.

The Election Process

Horacio Cartes was the candidate for the Colorado Party in the 2013 Paraguayan general election. During his campaign, he promised to bring in private money to improve the country's roads and buildings. He also promised to make government companies more modern. He aimed to attract international investments and create new jobs.

On April 21, 2013, he was elected President of Paraguay. He won with 45.80% of the votes. When he became president on August 15, it was a special moment. It was only the second time in Paraguay's 202 years of independence that power was peacefully given from one ruling party to another.

He was sworn in on August 15, 2013. In his first speech as president, he declared a fight against poverty in Paraguay. Many leaders from other countries attended his inauguration. These included presidents from Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, and Taiwan.

His Team of Ministers

President Cartes announced his team of ministers in August 2013. He chose people who were experts in their fields for these important roles.

Focus on Education

In 2015, many students in Paraguay held large protests. They asked for better quality education. They wanted the government to spend more money on education. Students asked for 7% of the country's total economic output (GDP) to go to education. At that time, only 3.9% of GDP was spent on education. This was one of the lowest amounts in the region.

Working with Other Countries

Cartes met with President of Argentina Mauricio Macri in Casa Rosada in September 2016.

Cortes with President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff

On May 21, 2018, the Paraguayan embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem. This made Paraguay the third country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's diplomatic capital. However, Cartes's successor, Mario Abdo Benítez, changed this decision on September 5, 2018.

Trying for Reelection

The current constitution says a president can only serve one five-year term. In late 2016 and early 2017, Cartes and his supporters tried to change the constitution. They wanted him to be able to run for president again. Some people who did not agree called this attempt "a coup."

On March 31, 2017, protests started. This happened after supporters of the change voted for it in a private meeting, not in the main Senate room. During these protests, people set fire to the Congress building. Several people were hurt, and one protester died. On April 17, Cartes announced he would not run for a second term, even if the change passed. On April 26, the Chamber of Deputies rejected the idea of allowing presidential reelection.

Attempt to Leave Office Early

In the 2018 Paraguayan general election, Cartes was elected to a seat in the Senate. He was still president at the time. New Senators were to start their jobs on June 30, 2018. This was six weeks before Cartes's presidential term ended. The constitution says officials cannot hold two jobs at the same time.

So, on May 28, 2018, Cartes offered to resign as President. This resignation needed to be approved by Congress. However, many lawmakers did not want him to resign and take the Senate seat. They said it was against the constitution. The opposition and even some members of his own Colorado Party stopped the vote from happening. This meant there were not enough people present for a vote. Cartes then decided on June 26, 2018, not to resign and not to become a senator.

Recognitions and Awards

•  Taiwan: Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon (October 2014)
•  Chile: Collar of the Order of Merit (2016)
•  Brazil: Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross (17 February 2017)
•  Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (10 May 2017)

See also

In Spanish: Horacio Cartes para niños